Sitting in the driverseat, you can lay your arm to rest on the tunnel
and the hand break to your right. And guess what? Your hand immediately
grabs the short leather gear stick as it is positioned perfectly under
your right hand.
Stangely enough, there is no protection to shifting into reverse: there
is just asmuch tension going into reverse as going into fifth. No hidden
leavers or pushing down the stick!

The fifth gear definately isn't an overdrive; the topspeed can only be
archieved in 5th.